School of Liberal Arts News

The Art of Healing Featured in the Marian University Art Gallery

by
Jenny R. Ambroise | Jan 22, 2014

The Art of Healing features the work of Indiana art therapists and will be on display in Marian University’s Art Gallery from January 21-February 21. An opening reception will be held January 30 from 4-6 p.m.

Members of The Indiana Art Therapy Association (INDIATA) will showcase their personal work, which ranges from non-representational to figurative. INDIATA consists of art therapists, students, and individuals who support the use of art in therapy and the advancement of the field. Members are employed in a number of different settings in Indiana including mental health centers, hospitals, open art studios, universities, veteran’s organizations, geriatric and youth programs, eating disorder clinics, rehabilitation clinics, schools, and private practices.

One of the featured therapists in the exhibit, Gina M. Baird, describes the role art plays in her life, “Art has allowed me to start conversations with myself and with others without words. I rely on art as one way to soothe and nurture myself, to process and lift the heavy burdens of working with people struggling in their lives, to celebrate life and love, to inspire myself, to challenge myself, and to give to others.” Baird maintains a part-time private practice in Fishers and works part-time for a local non-profit providing art therapy for women and children survivors of trauma. She is featured in Bruce Moon’s book Working with Images: The Art of Art Therapists and one of her paintings is the image on the cover for the newly published book Dream Manual for Therapists and Other Listeners byauthor Galen Martini.

Marian University has had an undergraduate art therapy concentration since the 1980's and was one of the first schools in Indiana to support art therapy. Bobbie Williams, whose work is shown in the exhibit, teaches Marian University’s Introduction to Art Therapy course and is an alumna of the school. She also teaches in the graduate art therapy program at Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods. She encourages the growth of art therapy by accepting graduate interns and promoting art therapy in the community.

The Marian University Art Gallery is located on the first floor of Fisher Hall. Gallery hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, although appointments at later times are welcome. Please contact Gallery Director Jenny Ambroise at jambroise@marian.edu with any inquiries.